Title: Integrated Airborne-Mobile Ground Observations and Inventory for Enhanced VOC Source Attribution and Ozone Precursor Mapping in Texas
Institution(s) Represented: University of Texas at Austin (Misztal, Hildebrandt Ruiz, Baasandorj), Texas A&M University (Zhang), University of Colorado, Boulder (Malarich)
Lead PI: Pawel Misztal
AQRP Project Manager: David Sullivan
TCEQ Project Liaison: Morshad Ahmed
Awarded Budget: $299,999
Abstract
The Houston-Galveston-Brazoria, and Dallas-Fort Worth nonattainment areas face a July 2027 attainment deadline under the 2008 ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), with the recently adopted Section 185 penalty fee program contingent on that outcome. San Antonio is in serious nonattainment for the 2015 ozone NAAQS, with an attainment date of September 24, 2027. Accurate volatile organic compound (VOC) emission inventories are essential for the photochemical modeling that underpins the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) State Implementation Plan (SIP) development. However, everyday consumer and commercial products such as paints, cleaning supplies, personal care products, and adhesives, collectively known as volatile chemical products (VCPs), now constitute approximately half of VOC emissions in cities, yet remain underrepresented in current emission inventories.
Project 26-029 will deploy two all-electric mobile laboratories from the University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University to measure a broad range of VOCs and VCP tracers across three Texas regions: Houston-Beaumont-Port Arthur, Dallas-Fort Worth, and Austin-San Antonio. Ground-based measurements will be coordinated with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Texas Air Quality Study 2026 (TexAQS 2026) airborne campaign. The combined ground and airborne data will be used to compare field-measured emissions against existing inventories through mass-balance approaches. Source apportionment analysis will quantify VCP contributions to total VOC emissions and ozone formation potential across the three regions.
The proposed work directly addresses TCEQ priorities for improved emission inventories in nonattainment areas and will deliver Texas-specific VCP source profiles, inventory comparison reports with improvement recommendations, and ozone formation potential assessments to support air quality management strategies.
Technical Reports:
